Brave Old Salt; or, Life on the Quarter Deck: A Story of the Great Rebellion by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER IX.
IN THE STATE-ROOM.
Somers took his station on the quarter deck, near the mizzen-mast, whileMr. Pillgrim went forward to the forecastle. The guns were cast loose,and the crew exercised at quarters for a few moments, just as thoughthere were an enemy's ship near. This manoeuvre was executed for thepurpose of perfecting the officers and crew in discipline; and it is notan uncommon thing to turn up all hands in the dead of the night for thisobject, for it is easier to correct mistakes at such times than when inthe presence of the enemy. As there was no Confederate ship in sight,all hands were presently piped below, and Somers returned to hisstate-room, where he was soon joined by Mr. Pillgrim, who evidentlywished to prolong the conversation which had been commenced before theship beat to quarters.
"Mr. Somers you and I have been friends for some little time," thelieutenant began, "and I confess that I have been deeply interested inyou, not only on your own account, but for the sake of our friends atNewport."
"Thank you, Mr. Pillgrim," said Somers, as the gentleman paused. "I amgreatly obliged to you, and I hope I shall always merit your goodopinion."
"I'm afraid not, my young friend; at least, you have not commenced thiscruise very well, having first sold yourself to the enemy."
"Do you think I have done that, Mr. Pillgrim?" demanded Somers, not alittle excited by the charge, from such a source.
"I know you have. I saw your commission on the table."
"I took the commission, I grant, but I have no intention of using it."
"Why did you take it then?"
"For the purpose of gaining information."
"Have you gained it?" demanded Mr. Pillgrim, with a hardly perceptiblesneer.
"I have."
"You received written orders, also."
"I did; and if I had obtained a foothold on the deck of the vessel towhich I was ordered, you would have seen how quick I should have passedher over to my government."
"That is a very plausible explanation, Mr. Somers," added thelieutenant. "But why did you sign the oath of allegiance to the SouthernConfederacy?"
"I did not."
"I beg your pardon, but I saw the document with your signature affixedto it."
"You are mistaken, Mr. Pillgrim."
"Can I refuse to believe the evidence of my own eyes?"
"Nevertheless, I must persist in saying that I did not sign the oath."
"After what you have done, Mr. Somers, I could hardly expect you toacknowledge it to a loyal officer. Are you aware that any court martialwould convict you, on the evidence against you, of treason, and sentenceyou to death?"
"I think not, when it was made to appear that all I did was in theservice of my country."
Somers shuddered when he thought of a traitor's doom, and for the firsttime realized that he had accumulated more evidence against himself thanagainst the conspirators. The commander's commission and the writtenorders were almost, if not quite, enough to hang him.
"You don't believe what you say, Mr. Somers, and of course you cannotexpect me to believe it," said Pillgrim, when he saw his brother officermusing, and looking rather anxious.
"I speak the truth, Mr. Pillgrim," replied Somers, unable to turn hisattention entirely away from the consequences which might follow some ofthese appearances against him.
"Somers, I have felt a deep interest in you. I have all along desired tobe your friend. This is the only reason why I did not prefer chargesagainst you before the ship sailed. Now, I advise you not to deny whatis as plain as truth can make it. I am your friend. Own up to me, and Ipromise never to betray you."
"Would your friend Langdon, _alias_ Lieutenant Wynkoop, R. N., beequally considerate?" asked Somers, provoked into making this unguardedremark by the hypocrisy of Pillgrim.
If the second lieutenant of the Chatauqua had received the bolt from athunder cloud he could not have been more astonished. He started back,turned pale, and quivered with emotion.
"Who?" demanded he, with a tremendous effort to recover hisself-possession.
"Do you think, Mr. Pillgrim, that I am a little lamb, that can be ledround with a silken string?" replied Somers, with energy. "You are mysuperior officer, and as such I will respect and obey youuntil--until--"
"Until what?"
"Until the day of reckoning comes. When you stand up in my presence andcharge me with being a traitor to my country, you had better rememberthat such charges, like chickens, will go home to roost."
"I was not brought up in a barn yard, Mr. Somers, and such comparisonsare beyond my comprehension."
"Wherever you were brought up, I think my language is plain enough to beunderstood by a person of your intelligence."
Perhaps it was fortunate for both parties that a knock at the state-roomdoor disturbed the conference at this exciting moment. Somers opened thedoor.
"Mr. Hackleford desires to see Mr. Somers on deck," said a midshipman.
"Excuse me for a few moments, Mr. Pillgrim," said Somers, as he closedhis desk and locked it.
"Certainly, sir; but I should be happy to see you when you aredisengaged. I will remain here if you please."
"I will join you as soon as I can."
It was warm below, and both Pillgrim and Somers had thrown off theircoats, and laid them on the bed. Somers slipped on his own, as hesupposed, and hastened on deck to meet the first lieutenant. The garmentseemed rather large for him, and there were several papers in the breastpocket which did not belong to him. Then he was aware that he had takenthe second lieutenant's coat instead of his own.
Mr. Hackleford wished to obtain some information from him in regard toone of the petty officers, and when Somers had answered the questions hewent below again. The papers in the pocket of Pillgrim's coat seemed toburn his fingers when he touched them. The owner was a traitor, andperhaps these documents might contain valuable intelligence. Underordinary circumstances it would have been the height of perfidy to lookat one of them; but, in the present instance, he felt justified inglancing at them. The state-room of the second assistant engineers wasopen and lighted, but neither of these officers was there. Stepping intothe room, he opened the papers and glanced at their contents. Only oneof them contained anything of importance. This was a note from a personwho signed himself simply "Irvine," but it was in the handwriting ofLangdon. The only clause in the epistle that was intelligible to Somerswas this: "Have just heard from B----. The Ben Nevis, he says, will makeWilmington after leaving St. John. Plenty of guns there. She will sailJuly 4."
Whether "B----" meant Boston or some person's name, Somers could notdetermine; but the fact in regard to the Ben Nevis was of the utmostconsequence. Hastily folding up the note, he returned the package ofpapers to the pocket where he had found them. Taking off the coat as heentered the ward-room, he went into the state-room, where Mr. Pillgrimwas still waiting for him, with the garment on his arm. He threw it uponthe bed as he entered, and his companion was not even aware of themistake which had been made.
"Mr. Somers, you were making some grave charges against me when you werecalled away," said the lieutenant.
"Not half so grave as those you made against me," replied Somers.
"Those can be proved."
"I made no charges. I only mentioned the name of your friend Langdon."
"I don't know him," added Pillgrim, doggedly.
"I beg your pardon, as you did mine, just now."
"Which means that you doubt my word."
"As you did mine."
"Somers, I am not to be trifled with," said Pillgrim, sternly.
"Neither am I."
"Be cautious, or I will denounce you to the captain at once," added thelieutenant, in low and threatening tones.
"Proceed, and then I shall be at liberty to take the next step."
"What's that?"
"Do you think I intend to show you my hand?" said Somers, with a meaningsmile.
Pillgrim bit his lip with vexation. He seemed to be completely cornered.He evide
"Mr. Pillgrim, I am no traitor; you know this as well as I do. Whateverpapers I took from your friend Langdon, _alias_ Wynkoop, were taken witha view to serve my country."
"You signed the oath of allegiance he offered you."
"It is false!" replied Somers, angrily.
"Be calm, Mr. Somers. I am no hypocrite, as you are," added Pillgrim. "Ihave heard that you have a talent for overhearing other people'sconversation."
"In the service of my country I am willing to do even this," saidSomers, indignantly.
"No matter about that. You have hinted that I am a traitor."
"If the hint is not sufficient, I declare that such is the fact."
Somers was roused to a high pitch of excitement, and he was not asprudent as he was wont to be. He was not playing a part now; he wastalking and acting as he wanted to talk and act. He was calling treasonand treachery by their right names.
"Explain, Mr. Somers," said Pillgrim, who grew cooler as his companionbecame hotter.
"You are in league with the enemies of your country. You and others havejust started a steamer for St. John, which you intend to fit out as aConfederate cruiser--the Ben Nevis, of which you and yourfellow-conspirators did me the honor to give me the command."
Pillgrim smiled blandly.
"And you accepted the command?"
"For a purpose, I did."
"You have not explained why you connect me with this affair. You spokeof some one whom you call Langdon. I don't know him."
"You--do!"
"Prove it."
"He addresses a note to you, calling you 'my dear Pillgrim,' and signshimself, familiarly, 'Langdon.'"
"Then you have been reading my letters--have you?"
"It was addressed to me, and put in my box at the hotel."
The second lieutenant turned pale, then red. He walked up and down thestate-room several times in silence. He could not deny the fact alleged.While he walked, Somers explained how he had read the note, and then putit back in the box. Pillgrim understood it.
"Of course you know Coles," continued Somers, placing a heavy emphasison the name of this worthy.
The lieutenant halted before his companion, and looked earnestly andinquiringly into his face. Somers returned his gaze with unflinchingresolution. There was a smile upon his face, for he believed that he hadthrown a red-hot shot into the enemy.
"Coles!" said Pillgrim.
"Coles!" repeated Somers.
"Mr. Somers, you are a fool!"
"Pray, where were you when human wisdom was distributed?"
"Do you know Coles?" asked Pillgrim.
"I think I should know Coles if I saw him."
"No, you wouldn't."
"He is the greatest villain that ever went unhung."
"Except yourself. Somers, this is child's play. You have made me yourenemy, but let us fight it out like men."
"I will do so with pleasure when you take your place on the deck of arebel vessel, where you belong."
"A truce to child's play, I say again. We must settle this matter hereand now."
"It can't be done."
"It must be done, or I will inform Captain Cascabel who and what you arebefore the first watch is out. Probably he will wish to see yourConfederate commission and your letter of instructions."
"When he does, I have something else to show him," replied Somers, whoseanswer was sufficiently indefinite to make the traitor look very stormyand anxious.
"Can you show him a Confederate oath of allegiance signed by me?"
"No."
"Then he will be more likely to hear me than you," added the lieutenant,whose countenance now looked as malignant as that of a demon. "You havesubscribed to that oath; I have not."
"It is false!"
"So you said before."
"Prove it."
"Here," continued Pillgrim, taking from his pocket the document whichhad been offered to Somers by Wynkoop.
The young officer glanced at it, and on the line for the signature, hesaw, with horror and indignation, the name of "John Somers," apparentlyin his own handwriting. Undoubtedly it was a forgery, but it was so welldone that even the owner of the name could hardly distinguish it fromhis usual signature.
"It is a forgery," gasped Somers, appalled at the deadly peril whichseemed to be in his path.
"Prove it," said the lieutenant, with a mocking smile.
Somers groaned in spirit. It would be impossible for him to prove thatthe signature was a forgery. Even his best friends would acknowledge it,so well was it executed.
"I have you, Somers," said Pillgrim, exultingly. "Let us understand eachother. You are mine, Somers, or you hang! Somers, I am Coles!"